The scandal raising questions about a powerful American institution and the American icon at the Helm Penn State. And the legendary football coach Joseph Paterno reeling tonight from -- hail storm of allegations. That someone powerful at the school. Abused young boys and that those in charge just hope the problem would go away. ABC's Dan Harris has that story. The legendary Joseph Paterno became the winningest coach in division one history along the -- furnishing a sterling image of ethics and integrity. One that tonight is in real jeopardy all. This afternoon to top Penn State officials were charged with covering up. Child sex abuse committed by this man -- and -- Paterno is former defensive coach who founded a charity to help vulnerable children. -- Motivate them to. -- position prosecutors say -- -- used in -- sick systematic way to find his victims it's a case about children who had their innocence stolen from them. And a culture the did nothing to stop. Corporate -- from happening to others the grand jury report says Penn State missed a series of opportunities to stop San desde. Including in 2002. When a graduate assistant claimed to cease and -- -- a boy roughly ten years old. In the -- showers the next morning the assistant went to return -- -- home and told him what he saw. The day after that Paterno alerted that two college officials who were arraigned today and they did not notify police. Prosecutors say send -- continued to molest children. All the way up until 2009. When an angry mother of a fifteen year old boy stepped forward claiming her son had been abused triggering a grand jury investigation. ABC's TJ Winick spoke exclusively to send ASCII. Unfortunately. -- on in a position like he needs to but the spotlight is also on Joseph Paterno a man so revered here. They erected a monument to him. Paterno insists he was never told about the full extent of the abuse witnessed in the team showers. And that he did what he was supposed to by notifying campus officials. His actions were legal but tonight many including the state police commissioner. Are asking were -- his actions moral not with the -- -- football coach or university president. Where the guys we've been building at that you have more responsibility to -- to the right thing in this case. A reaction from a player today but tonight some people in the wider sports world are openly calling for Joseph Paterno the legend. To step down in fact some people are calling what allegedly happened here at Penn State akin to what happened in the Catholic Church. The cover up during the -- sex abuse scandal when some people put the interests of a powerful institution over the interests of weak and defenseless children. -- this was such a jolt of Penn State fans thank you to.

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